What are some coping strategies for dealing with a child’s birth parent when they are struggling with addiction? In this course, we talk with Kate Cleary, Executive Director of Consortium for Kids. She is a social worker, an adult adoptee whose mother was addicted, and she has helped negotiate over 40,000 post-adoption openness agreements for kids transitioning out of foster care.

This course covers the following topics:

  • What is the nature of addiction?
  • How should adoptive or foster parents handle things when a birth parent shows up for a meeting with their child high or stoned?
  • How should adoptive or foster parents handle things when birth parents who are addicted fail to show up for meetings with adoptive family and child?
  • How can adoptive or foster parents set healthy boundaries with birth parents who are addicted?
  • How can adoptive or foster parents avoid becoming an enabler?
  • How can adoptive or foster parents maintain the spirit of openness even if you feel the need to reduce contact?
  • What are specific issues for foster parents working with birth parents who are addicted?
  • How should adoptive or foster parents explain drug addiction of birth parents to children?


*Your course will remain active for 180 days from purchase date.

  • $10.00

    Relationships with Birth Parents Who Struggle with Addiction (FE)

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